The company has finally reached breaking point and has now ceased broadcasting all channels other than those which are free to view.

Batchelor - who is the chairman of York City footballl club - saved the Minstermen towards the end of the current season after the previous board announced the club would resign from the Football League if no buyer was found.

He is now considering buying ITV Digital. He told football365: "It is my intention to head up a bid for ITV Digital backed by a consortium of people from motor sport and football.

"I need to act very quickly after talks with the administrators who said the company would otherwise be broken up very quickly.

"There is no reason why we can't make this work and it will be heavily funded from the motorsport side. I don't have the money required, but I do have the ability to bring people together who do."